PANAMA CITY, July 24 -- At least 10 undocumented migrants drowned when a sudden rush of river water swept them away as they were attempting to cross Panama's Darien Gap on foot, the National Border Service said Wednesday.

According to the National Border Service, the Public Ministry was informed of the incident in the event that the victims' bodies were buried to cover up any connection to migrant traffickers.

The region in eastern Panama's Darien province, which borders on Colombia, is notoriously risky due to its swamplike jungle and muddy paths.

Panamanian authorities have tried to channel migration through an alternative humanitarian corridor established to offer migrants greater protection but some choose the more dangerous route, the National Border Service said in a statement.

More than 216,000 migrants made the dangerous journey between January and July 22 this year in a bid to reach the United States by crossing Central America and Mexico, according to data from the National Migration Service.

  - Xinhua